It is often necessary to join separate lengths of pipes or tubing to create a single, continuous length. If the lengths of pipe are heavy, it is difficult to manipulate and move the pipes so that they may be properly aligned for joining. This problem arises when long sections of pipe such as polyethylene tubing are to be joined. The problem is even greater when pipe is laid in a trench and it becomes necessary to manipulate and move pipe lengths in the trench.
A device in which pipes are loaded thereupon through the top of the device are limiting in that piping has to be lifted and placed into the device and joined pipe must be lifted from the device upon completion of the joining process. Such a top-loading device would also be limiting because it would be necessary to provide a trench which is larger than necessary to lay the pipe in order to be able to remove the device from the trench once joining of pipe is completed.